Shoe-sole.



A. BUCOLO.

SHOE SOLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1914.

1 17 6.64? Patented Mar. 21, 1916 avuwntoz ALFRED BUCOLO, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SHOE-SOLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21 1916.

Application filed November 24, 1914. Serial No. 873,780.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ALFRED Bocono, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the Districtof Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Soles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoes, the object in view being to produce a simple, economical and practical cushioned and non-slipping sole for shoes, boots and the like, said sole embodying a number of projecting tread members having a certain disposition relatively to each other and to the heel and ball and toe portions of the sole whereby an advantageous result is obtained, preventing longitudinal, lateral and angular slipping or skidding and also providing an agreeable elastic tread which is particularly easy and comfortable in use.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustratedmnd claimed. In the accompanying drawings :--Figure 1 is a; bottom plan view of a shoe sole embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a clrloss sectionthrough the ball portion of the s 0e.

Referring to the drawings A designates generally a shoe sole, 1 the heel portion thereof and 2 and 3 the ball and toe portions thereof, respectively.

' In carrying out the present invention I provide a heel plate4 and a balland toe plateo, the said plates being formed of any suitable material preferably aluminum for the sake-of lightness, said plates being secured to the respective portions of the sole by means of fasteners 6 of any description.

The heel plate 4 conforms in ,size and ourvature to the heel portion of the sole, said plate being formed with a slot 7 therein which is also of the general shape of the heel, said slot being designed to hold a tread member 8 of the same shape as shown in 1. The opposite edges which-define the 'slot or opening 7 in the heel plate 4 are rabbeted at 9 to form retaining flanges 10 which support the tread member 8 by engaging marginal flanges 11 extending entirely around said member. Ordinarily the tread member 8 is composed of rubber and the flanges 11 thereof lie immediately above and in contact with the flanges 10 of the heel plate so that when the heel plate is fastened to the sole,

the tread member 8 is securely retained in position thereby.

In connection with the plate 5, I employ a plurality of tread members, three of such members being shown and indicated at 12, 13 and 14. All of these members 12, 13 and 14 are preferably formed of rubber and provided with flanges extending entirely around the same and corresponding. with the flanges 11 of the member 8, said flanges being indicated at 15 in Fig. 2. The plate 5 is formed with openings to receive the tread members 12, 13 and 14 and the edges of said openings are rabbeted as shown in Fig. 2 to receive and engage the said flanges 15 to hold said tread members in place.

As shown in Fig. 2, the tread members are of greater depth vertically than the thick ness of the plates 4 and 5 so that said tread members project and support the sole, providing at one and the same time sole and heel cushions and also anti-slipping ribs or projections. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be observed that the sections 12 and 13 are of arcuate shape and reversely disposed; that is to sav, the concaved edges of the sections 12 and 13 face each other while the convex edges thereof are disposed toward the edges of the sole. Furthermore, the tread members 12 and 13 converge toward the .toe portion of the sole, which provides an additional gripping action to prevent slipping in a fore and aft direction. The trend member 14 is located directly under the toe portion of the foot and is in line 7 with the space between the tread sections 12 and 13, the rear end of the member 14 serving as a partial closure for the space between the forward extremities of the memhers 12 and 13 and thereby further assisting in the prevention of fore and aft slipping. It will be noted that the tread member 14 has its rear end located approximately in line with the forward extremities of the members 12 and 13 and that said member 14 is elongated longitudinally of the tread surface and extends from said point forwardly to; point adjacent to the toe. The tread .gneml) as transverse skiddiirg orslipping of the er thusprevents longitudinal as well shoe on'lslippery pavements .or'susfaces, this being particularly true and advantageousit the moment when the pedestrian is in the act of taking a step forward and practically only the toe portion of the shoe has a bearing on such slippery surface. The rear outer edge of the heel, tread member 8 .is arcuate so as to prevent the heel from slipping or skidding rearwardly'or laterally or at'any intervening angle while the inner edge and forward extremities of the member 8 pre.-, vent slipping in a forward direction, The curvilinear members 12 and 13 form a trun cated hollow wedge which resist-s both forward and rearward skidding.

When the tread members 8, '12, 13 and 14 v wear down so as to allow the plates 4 and 5 to contact withthe' ground or pavement, the said plates are detached from the'sole. and

the old tread members may be removed'and replaced by new ones. This may be done as frequently as occasion requires. The tread members being renewable, great-1y prolong the life .of the sole in addition to forming a supporting cushions and preventing slipping v 20 or skidding in any and all directions.-

, gins of the tread surface and form a trimc'ated hollow wedge, and another elastic tread member extending from a point in line with the forward extremities of the curvilinear tread members toward the for- I ward end of the plate, all of said tread members projecting from the bottom surface of the plate,

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ALFRED BUCOLO. Witnesses: 1

' JAMES A. KOEHL,

RE'xFoRn M. SMITH. 

